Test cricket is not dying, but day one of the third Test did not suggest that it is thriving either. More thought needs to be given to scheduling the game's premier format
Wed, Jan 24 2018
Switching to pace resulted in change of fortunes: Vijay Shankar
The all-rounder speaks about his decision of switching from being a spinner to a medium-pacer, the call-up into the Test squad and more…
The Report by Sidharth Monga in Johannesburg
Virat Kohli attacked with luck, Cheteshwar Pujara defended and defended solidly, both got fifties in tough batting conditions, but a lower-order collapse gave South Africa the upper hand as India went from 144 for 4 to 187 all out
THAT'S STUMPS ON DAY 1 South Africa 6/1 (Bhuvneshwar 1/3) trail India (187) by 181 runsOUT! Bhuvneshwar Kumar has struck early. Back of a length delivery that just about moves as Aiden Markram pokes at it but manages an edge to be out caught behind on 2. Score 3/1Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram will open the innings. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has the new ball.OUT! Bhuvneshwar Kumar is out on 30 after being caught off Kagiso Rabada. India 187 all out in first innings on Day 1Bhuvneshwar Kumar takes the aerial route and hits it high but the distance isn't there. Lungi Ngidi misjudges the catch and two runs for Bumrah. Score 179/9OUT! No celebrations from Kagiso Rabada after he gets Ishant Sharma for a duck. It's his second wicket of the innings. Score 166/9Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma are somehow managing to stave off the probing spell from the South Africa bowlers. A lot of swing and miss and catches falling short, bowlers frustrated with hands on head. Score 166/8OUT! Mohammed Shami swings & holes out to Kagiso Rabada at mid-off on 8 off Vernon Philander. Score 163/8OUT! India are losing wickets in a heap now. This time Hardik Pandya plays a loose shot to be caught for a five-ball duck off Andile Phehlukwayo. Score 144/7OUT! Parthiv Patel quickly follows Cheteshwar Pujara to the dressing room after being out caught behind off Morne Morkel on 2. Score 144/6And right after reaching his fifty, Cheteshwar Pujara edges one from Andile Phehlukwayo to be out caught behind on 50. Score 144/5He gets to the milestone with a couple off Lungi Ngidi. It took him 173 deliveries to reach there. Score 143/4Both Cheteshwar Pujara and Parthiv Patel are being tested by the duo of Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. Pujara though has managed to hit two fours - first off Ngidi through covers before being between twice and then a cut through point for his 7th four of the innings. Score 136/4Aton Day 1, India 114/4 (Kohli 54, Pujara 27*) against South Africa (Ngidi 1/7) in JohannesburgOUT! Morne Morkel has trapped Ajinkya Rahane LBW on 9. The Indian went for DRS after having a chat with Cheteshwar Pujara. Replay showed the ball was clipping the leg stump and the decision was upheld. Score 113/4NO BALL saves Ajinkya Rahane after he edges one from Vernon Philander to the 'keeper. He survives on 3, India 102/3 n 48.3 oversCaught by AB de Villiers as Lungi Ngidi gets the big fish. India captain Virat Kohli departs after 54 off 106. Score 97/3Finally captain Virat Kohli brings up his 16th Test fifty with a four to backward square leg region off Kagiso Rabada. India 94/2 in 41.3 oversIndia captain Virat Kohli has been stuck on 47 for a while now. The South Africans are creating pressure by not allowing him to rotate the strike. Interesting battle. Score 90/2Virat Kohli is settling into a rhythm despite the testing conditions. He began the 35th over, bowled by Morne Morkel, with an excellent straight drive past the bowler. Then Morkel induced an inside edge but that too rolled away for a four. Score 79/2Virat Kohli gets a life on 34! This time the culprit is AB de Villiers who fails to gobble a regulation catch at the third slip.Positive intent from Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara after the lunch break. After being beaten off a Morne Morkel delivery, Kohli responded with a four through mid-off. Pujara then struck consecutive fours off Vernon Philander in the 30th over to move to 15 off 81. Score: 59/2At lunch on Day 1, India are 45/2 (Kohli 24*; Philander 1/1)54 balls and first run on the board for Pujara. Talk about being patient.Life for Virat Kohli. Bouncer from Kagiso Rabada and Kohli takes on with the pull, mistimes, bottom edge loops up in to short mid-on, but Vernon Philander is slow to react and fails to reach the ball. Kohli dropped on 11.: So the Indian openers are back in the hut. Murali Vijay was flirting with danger chasing the wide deliveries and Kagiso Rabada, in his first over, induces an edge off Vijay off the wide delivery - second catch for Quinton de Kock. India 13/2Fantastic delivery from Philander, inswinger and Pujara is trapped in front. On-field umpire's call is not out, but SA opt for review. Umpire's call on the hawk-eye, so Pujara is safe and SA retain their reviewVeron Philander draws the first blood with the wicket of KL Rahul for a duck. India 7/1. Length ball nipped back in and Rahul gets an inside edge, Quinton de Kock obliges behind the stumpsMorne Morkel opens the proceedings for South Africa. Murali Vijay and KL Rahul openers for India. And Vijay is off the mark with a steaky boundary past the slip cordon and then a straight drive for another boundary in the first over.: India win toss and opt to bat - India playing with 5 seamers - Ajinkya Rahane in, Bhuvi inDean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungisani Ngidi, Andile PhehlukwayoMurali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Parthiv Patel(w), Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah
